Ayurvedic Dosha Diet
A person’s constitution is determined by a Vata, Pitta, Kapha. They govern an individuals response to changes and they also promote the disease process when out of balance. Ayurvedic medicine gets to the root of disease, it’s the whole picture of how the person lives his or her life, what we eat, how we digest and assimilate food, how we breath-fast or slow. Ama is the name for undigested food that stays in the intestine, ayurveda detoxifies the body. Normally the body has the ability to efficiently process and eliminate all toxins and process metabolism. Having a balanced diet is a very important part of the ayurvedic healing system.

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Ayurveda Diets to balance your Dosha

Ayurvedic Medicine is recognized by the World Health Organization, however it is no substitute for medical advice from your doctor or healthcare provider. It can be used in unison with any healthcare regime. Ayurvedic consultations and treatments are considered alternative or complimentary to healing arts that are licensed by the state of California.

Ayurvedic Dosha DietA person’s constitution is determined by a Vata, Pitta, Kapha. They govern an individuals response to changes and they also promote the disease process when out of balance. Ayurvedic medicine gets to the root of disease, it’s the whole picture of how the person lives his or her life, what we eat, how we digest and assimilate food, how we breath-fast or slow. Ama is the name for undigested food that stays in the intestine, ayurveda detoxifies the body. Normally the body has the ability to efficiently process and eliminate all toxins and process metabolism. Having a balanced diet is a very important part of the ayurvedic healing system.

Vata Dosha: Suggested Food Choices

The following list of suggested foods is by no means all-inclusive, but offers starting guidelines if you are new to ayurvedic dietary principles. We will add to this list regularly, so please check back often!Grains: Rice, wheat, quinoa, oats, amaranth, all cooked until tender

Balancing Vata dosha: DietAyurvedic texts recommend the principle of opposites for reducing the level of a dosha that has become aggravated. Since the characteristics of Vata include dryness, coolness, roughness, lightness and constant motion, qualities that are opposite to these in diet and lifestyle help restore balance to Vata dosha.Dietary recommendationsInclude foods that are liquid or unctuous in your daily diet to balance dryness, some “heavy” foods to offer substance and sustained nourishment, foods that are smooth in texture to offset roughness and foods that are warm or hot to balance the cool nature of Vata. So what exactly does this mean in terms of foods you should choose and foods you should stay away from? Here are some specific dietary tips:1. If you need to balance Vata, a fat-free diet is not for you. Cook foods with a little ghee (clarified butter) or include some olive oil in your diet everyday. Olive oil cannot be heated to high temperatures without destroying its healing value, so drizzle olive oil over fresh soft flatbreads, cooked grains, or warm vegetable dishes. Ghee can be heated to high temperatures without affecting its nourishing, healing qualities, so use ghee to sauté vegetables, spices or other foods. Avoid too many dry foods such as crackers, dry cold cereal and the like.2. Cooked foods, served hot or warm, are ideal for balancing Vata. Pureed soups, cooked fruit, hot cereal, rice pudding and hot nourishing beverages such as nut milks or warm milk are excellent “comfort” foods and help pacify aggravated Vata. Avoid or minimize raw foods such as salads and raw sprouts.3. The three ayurvedic tastes that help balance Vata are sweet, sour and salty, so include more of these tastes in your daily diet. Milk, citrus fruits, dried fruit or salted toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds make good snack choices. Eat less of the bitter, pungent and astringent tastes.

4. Nuts are wonderful Vata-pacifiers. Soak ten almonds overnight. Blanch and eat in the early morning for a healthy burst of energy. Walnuts, hazelnuts and cashews make good Vata-pacifying snacks.

5. Carrots, asparagus, tender leafy greens, beets, sweet potatoes and summer squash such as zucchini and lauki squash are the best vegetable choices. They become more digestible when chopped and cooked with Vata-pacifying spices. Vegetables can be combined with grains or mung beans for satisfying one-dish meals. Avoid nightshades and larger beans.

6. Basmati rice is ideal for balancing Vata. Cook it with a little salt and ghee for added flavor. Wheat is also good-fresh flatbreads made with whole wheat flour (called atta or chapatti flour and available at Indian grocery stores) and drizzled with a little melted ghee combine well with cooked vegetables or Vata-balancing chutneys.

7. Most spices are warming and enhance digestion, so cook with a combination of spices that appeals to your taste buds and is appropriate for the dish you are making. Ayurvedic spices such as small quantities of turmeric, cumin, coriander, dried ginger, black pepper and saffron offer flavor, aroma and healing wisdom.8. Drink lots of warm water through the day.

Pitta Dosha: Suggested Food ChoicesThe following list of suggested foods is by no means all-inclusive, but offers starting guidelines if you are new to ayurvedic dietary principles. We will add to this list regularly, so please check back often!

What is Pitta?Pitta is made up of the two elements fire and water.The most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the characteristics of Pitta dosha: hot and a little unctuous (sahasnehamushnam); sharp, burning (tikshnam); liquid and acidic (dravamlam); always flowing in an unbounded manner (saram); pungent and sharp (katuhu).

Pitta contains fire, but it also contains water. It is the source of the flame, but not the flame itself. Compare Pitta to gasoline–it is not hot to the touch, but it can be the source of flames.People with more Pitta in their constitutions tend to be of medium proportions, with a frame that is neither petite nor heavy, warm skin that is very fair or ruddy and may be sensitive, and fine hair that tends towards premature graying or thinning. They are sharp and determined in thought, speech and action. There is an element of purpose to their step, an intensity to their voice. Ambition is usually their second name. They are moderate sleepers and gravitate towards cooler environments. Self-confidence and an entrepreneurial spirit are hallmarks of balanced Pitta.

If your prakriti or original constitution has more Pitta in it, you will exhibit many of the characteristics and qualities of Pitta when you are in balance than people who have more Vata or Kapha in their make-up. And that’s natural. But if the qualities become extreme, or more pronounced than usual at a given time, then the Pitta in you has in all likelihood become aggravated or imbalanced, and needs to be brought back into balance. And if a predominantly Kapha or Vata person starts exhibiting many Pitta qualities, that indicates a Pitta imbalance in that Kapha or Vata body type. In both cases, it is then time to follow a Pitta-balancing diet and lifestyle to help restore the level of Pitta in the physiology to its normal proportion.Factors that can cause Pitta dosha to increase in the physiology include a diet that contains too many hot or spicy foods, fasting or skipping meals, over-exposure to the sun or to hot temperatures, and emotional trauma.

Signs that you need to balance Pitta * Are you constantly critical, impatient, irritable? * Do you feel obsessed by work or a project, unable to stop for a break? * Do you wake up in the very early hours of the morning and then find it difficult to get back to sleep? * Is your skin feeling irritated or more sensitive than usual, breaking out or feeling inflamed? * Is your hair falling when you shampoo or comb it? * Do you have problems with heartburn or excess stomach acid? * Is your tolerance of other people or provoking situations lower than usual? Do you have temper outbursts over minor aggravations? Do you often feel frustrated? * Do you feel hot even when you are indoors? Do you feel thirsty all the time? Are your eyes red? * Is your speech often biting and sarcastic? Do you find yourself getting into arguments easily?If you answered yes to many of the questions above, following a Pitta-balancing diet and lifestyle can help restore balance to Pitta.

Kapha Dosha: Suggested Food ChoicesAyurvedic texts recommend the principle of opposites for reducing the level of a dosha that has become aggravated. Since the characteristics of Kapha include heaviness, softness, sweetness, cold, stability and unctuousness, qualities that are opposite to these in diet and lifestyle help restore balance to Kapha dosha.Dietary recommendationsInclude a few dry foods in your daily diet to balance the oily nature of Kapha, foods that are nourishing but light to counter the heaviness of Kapha and warm foods with a zing to them to balance the sweet, cold quality of Kapha. So what exactly does this mean in terms of foods you should choose and foods you should stay away from?

Here are some specific dietary tips:1. If you need to balance Kapha, choose ghee, in very small quantities, as your cooking medium. Ghee can be heated to high temperatures without affecting its nourishing, healing qualities, so use ghee to sauté vegetables, spices or other foods. Steaming foods and then adding a mixture of spices sautéed in very little ghee is best. In general, avoid too many oily foods.

3. The three ayurvedic tastes that help balance Kapha are pungent, bitter and astringent, so include more of these tastes in your daily diet. Apples, garbanzo beans cooked with Kapha-balancing spices or steamed broccoli or cauliflower with a light olive oil and spice mixture make healthy Kapha-pacifying snacks. Eat less of the salty, sweet and sour tastes.

4. Dry cereal, salt-free crackers and rice cakes balance the liquid nature of Kapha dosha and make good snacks. However, eat snacks in moderation if you are trying to balance Kapha, and avoid sugary snacks. Honey in small quantities is the recommended sweetener.

8. Drink lassi infused with digestion-enhancing spices and herbs with lunch and lots of warm water through the day to help flush toxins from the body. Kapha dosha

What is Kapha?Kapha is made up of the two elements water and earth.The most revered ayurvedic text, the Charaka Samhita, defines the characteristics of Kapha dosha: heavy–both water and earth are heavy elements (guru); cold (sheetoha); soft (mridu); unctuous, offering lubrication (snigdha); sweet (madhura); stability, offering immunity (sthira); and slippery (tikshila).People with more Kapha in their constitutions tend to be of larger proportions, with a robust frame and padded joints, thick smooth skin that may tend towards oiliness, and rich, wavy hair. They are stable and calm in thought, speech and action, and are easy-going and supportive in relationships. There is an element of steadiness to their step, a quality of serenity in their smile. Loyalty is usually their second name. They are long, heavy sleepers and uncomfortable in damp, clammy environments. Calm and sweetness of disposition are hallmarks of balanced Kapha.

If your prakriti or original constitution has more Kapha in it, you will exhibit many of the characteristics and qualities of Kapha when you are in balance than people who have more Pitta or Vata in their make-up. And that’s natural. But if the qualities become extreme, or more pronounced than usual at a given time, then the Kapha in you has in all likelihood become aggravated or imbalanced, and needs to be brought back into balance. And if a predominantly Vata or Pitta person starts exhibiting many Kapha qualities, that indicates a Kapha imbalance in that Vata or Pitta body type. In both cases, it is then time to follow a Kapha-balancing diet and lifestyle to help restore the level of Kapha in the physiology to its normal proportion.Factors that can cause Kapha dosha to increase in the physiology include a diet that contains too many deep-fried, sweet or heavy foods, over-consumption of ice-cold foods or beverages, exposure to cold and damp, daytime sleep, and lack of exercise.

Signs that you need to balance Kapha* Are you gaining weight easily, even though you feel like you don’t really have an appetite? * Do you feel tired even though you are not performing any physical activity? * Do you find it difficult to awake even after long hours of sleep? Do you wake up feeling un-refreshed, tired? * Is your skin feeling oilier than usual, with breakouts? * Is your hair oily and streaky even with regular shampooing? * Are you heavy and congested in your throat, head and chest? * Is your digestion slow? Do you feel heavy and lethargic after a meal? * Do you feel like you just want to sit and be a spectator? * Do you feel withdrawn? Is it difficult to deal with change? Do you constantly feel the need to “cling”? * Do you feel mentally unmotivated?